2009 BMW 5 Series Owner's Manual - Page 49

Adjusting Sitting safely The ideal sitting position can make a vital contribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In the interaction with the safety belts, the head restraints and the airbags, the sitting position plays an important role in an accident. To ensure that the safety systems operate with optimal efficiency, we strongly urge you to observe the instructions contained in the following section. For additional information on transporting children safely, refer to page 58. Head restraints A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the risk of spinal injury in the event of an accident. Adjust the head restraint so that its center is approx. at ear level. Otherwise there is increased danger of injury in the event of an accident.< Head restraints, refer to page 51. Safety belts Before every drive, make sure that safety belts are being worn at all of the occupied seats. Airbags complement the safety belt as an additional safety device, but they do not represent a substitute. Your vehicle is provided with five seats, which are all equipped with a safety belt. Never allow more than one person to wear a single safety belt. Never allow infants or small children to ride in a passenger's lap. Make sure that the belt lies low around the hips in the lap area and does not press on the abdomen. The safety belt must not lie across the neck, rub against sharp edges, be routed over solid or breakable objects or be pinched. Wear the safety belt without twisting, snugly across the lap and shoulders, as close to the body as possible. Otherwise the belt can slip over the hips in the lap area in a frontal impact and injure the abdomen. Avoid wearing clothing that prevents the belt from fitting properly and pull the belt in the upper body area periodically to readjust the tension, in order to avoid a reduction in the restraint of the safety belt. Sports Wagon: if the center safety belt in the rear is used, the larger backrest half must be locked, refer to page 128, otherwise the middle safety belt has no restraining action.< Safety belts, refer to page 52. Airbags Always maintain an adequate distance between yourself and the airbags. Always hold the steering wheel by its rim with hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions, to minimize the risk of injuries to your hands and arms in the event of airbag deployment. No one and nothing is to come between the airbags and the seat occupant. Do not use the cover of the front airbag on the front passenger side as a storage area. Make sure that the front passenger is sitting correctly and does not rest feet or legs on the instrument panel, otherwise leg injuries can occur if the front airbags are triggered. Make sure that occupants do not rest their head on the side or head airbags, otherwise injuries can occur if the airbags are triggered.< Even if you adhere to all the instructions, injuries resulting from contact with airbags cannot be fully excluded, depending on the circumstances. The ignition and inflation noise may provoke a mild hearing loss in extremely sensitive individuals. This effect is usually only temporary. For airbag locations and additional information on airbags, refer to page 100. 47 Online Edition for Part no. 01 41 2 600 721 - © 08/08 BMW AG Reference Mobility Communications Entertainment Navigation Driving tips Controls At a glance